


Awkward

by GreenArchitect



Series: Tumblr Prompts [21]
Category: Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-28
Updated: 2015-08-26
Packaged: 2018-04-11 16:19:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4442690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenArchitect/pseuds/GreenArchitect
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anonymous asked: Bane and John live in the same building. Bane has a massive crush on John but no idea how to approach him. (John is a little skittish around Bane) One day he notices John befriending a kitten and basically whatever John does for the kitten Bane then does for John. John sits non threatingly in the same room as the kitten? Check. Leaves out food? Chocolates on the doorstep. John leaves a toy? Bane leaves a gift. Kitten eventually let's John pet it? John eventually starts talking to Bane.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Bane was aware that he was intimidating figure standing 6’1" and all muscle but it made it no less annoying when that cute little twink would damn near scurry away any time they crossed paths. It didn’t matter if the guy was sitting out on the patio or doing his laundry, if Bane came around he would look a bit like a cornered animal. And the one time Bane tried to spark up a conversation John could hardly hide his nervousness. 

 

Perhaps Bane was coming on too strong as well. He’d thought the other was really quite attractive, all long limbs and dark eyes. John was definitely his type but it was clear he wasn’t necessarily John’s. Whether it was because he was big or a guy remained to be seen. 

 

“You should cut your losses. What’s the point of chasing someone who doesn’t respond to you?” Barsad shrugged and leaned on the balcony railing of Bane’s apartment. 

 

“I think he might just be a bit shy. I don’t really see him talk to anybody around here.” 

 

“Yeah but you said he gets all nervous around you. Stop wasting your time and find someone else.” Barsad rolled his eyes and gave Bane a look. “I’ve told you to leave the twinks alone. They’re a bunch of flighty idiots.” 

 

“Yourself included.” Bane chuckled when Barsad leveled him with a look. They had never been boyfriends but they had slept with eachother enough to build a strong friendship that lasted after the sex got mundane. 

 

“I am not now and never will be a twink. Oh, speaking of twinks, there’s yours. Is that a rat he’s trying to pet? This place is a dump after all.” Bane looked down and sure enough there was John in the apartment’s courtyard coaxing what looked like a small cat who was warily eyeing him. 

 

“It’s a cat, idiot.” Bane continued watching John try to offer the cat some food without much success. 

 

“Hmmmm I wonder if he is enjoying the same treatment he gives you.” Barsad smirked. “Would serve him right. Oh look the cat just scurried off too.” Bane watch John smile at the retreating cat and left the food on the patio. Once he’d disappeared the cat returned, though cautiously, and ate the food. 

 

Through the next few weeks Bane saw John build a rapport with the stray by talking softly to it, bringing it treats. It seemed to be working and it gave Bane an idea. Perhaps he really had come on too strong. 

 

The next time he saw John in the laundry room he simply smiled and chose the washer further away from the one where John had been loading his clothes into. He had even brought a book to keep himself from giving into temptation to flirt. John was still wary but he stayed in the laundry room until his clothes were finished. Bane counted it as a small victory.  
********************  
Bane was, if anything, a planner and once it became clear that John needed a more gentle touch he decided to change his approach and began to leave small gifts and treats. First, he left a small box of Swiss chocolates in John’s laundry basket with a short note about the chocolatiers who made them. Then, a few weeks later, he had Peruvian lillies delivered with one of his favorite Neruda poems attached. When winter came he knitted him a thick royal blue scarf and matching hat when he noticed the man didn’t seem to have one despite it being one of the coldest winters yet. 

 

With each gift, Bane made sure to stick around only long enough to make sure John received it, then he would leave so John wouldn’t feel obligated to accept them. He was extremely pleased to see John on the patio nibbling on the chocolates and had assumed the flowers had been kept as well. And later he grinned for a whole week when he saw John on the street wearing the scarf and hat. Now when they saw eachother in the hall or laundry room Bane would make sure to give John space and often would leave the room before John would feel obligated to thank him. Overall Bane felt things were going well; John smiled at him now and the look of slight panic was gone. Another bigger victory. 

 

Bane had no illusions about this being a short term attempt so he was more than a little surprised when he answered his door and found the adorable man holding a case of beer. He looked from John to the beer a few times before the smaller man cleared his throat and spoke.  
“You’ve never let me thank you.” 

 

“You don’t need to.“ 

 

“But what if I wanted to? Jerk.” John blushed at that and Bane couldn’t help but chuckle. John was even cuter when he blushed like that. “I-I brought you some beer.” He held the beer up awkwardly. 

 

“Thanks.” Bane grinned and took the beer gingerly, careful not to touch John’s hand even though he really wanted to know if they were as soft as they looked. 

“Would you care to join me for dinner? I made lasagna. It’s not too shabby, if I say so myself.” Bane smiled warmly when John seemed to perk up at the mention of lasagna. 

 

“You cook too? Wow.” Bane snorted and John blushed. “It’s just you seem so-“He paused searching for the word. “domestic, I guess. I can barely make grilled cheese without setting off the smoke detector.” 

 

“So you’re the reason why we got to stand out in the snow the other night?” Bane huffed in amusement. 

 

“Yeah I’m lucky you gave me that really nice hat and scarf. Thank you. Blue is my favorite color.” John dropped his gaze to his sneakers and Bane nearly melted at how sweet and shy the other man was. 

 

“Well why don’t you come in and we all can avoid being sent out into the cold because you burned something, yeah?” John snorted but nodded and Bane decided to take a small chance. “Maybe you’ll let me teach you how to cook?” John came to a halt just inside the door and looked at Bane warily. Shit! And then he smiled shyly and nodded. 

 

“I think I’d like that.“


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can we have a sequel to the Bane woos John like a kitten story? John has been showing up for cooking lessons and Bane is so pleased to be spending time with him but he is scared of spooking John so he hasn't asked John out properly yet. Barsard thinks they are both ridiculous and gives John a "he's crazy about you but you hurt him and I'll kill you speech". John is stunned that a guy like Bane is interested, Bane is annoyed with Barsard for interfering and Barsard is unrepentant.

John was more than a little surprised at how well Bane could cook and even more so at the way the man gave him enough space as they prepared meals together in the small kitchen. He really appreciated it. The truth was that he really did like Bane. It was just that they got off to a bad start when Bane came on so strong and with John coming out of a particularly nasty breakup just a few months prior, it was just too much at once.

But things were better and Bane seemed to be perfectly fine with taking it slow with John. Perhaps a little too slow even. They’d been cooking together for a month and Bane hadn’t so much as asked him out for coffee. And when you added the three months Bane spent being sweet with the little gifts-well it totaled almost 6 months and bad break up or not that was still an awfully long time to wait.

But he really hated asking people out because it never came out as smooth as he wanted and he didn’t need Bane knowing anymore about his awkwardness. So he kept waiting for Bane to make the next move. 

“I sincerely hope you’re not toying with my friend’s heart.” The voice came from nowhere and John definitely made an undignified sound and dropped his keys and groceries.

“Who – who’s there?” He tried to sound less scared than he was but the answering snort told him otherwise.

“You really are a jumpy thing.” The man slipped from the shadows, lighting a cigarette. “Is that why you’ve got Bane suffering in his own personal hell?” John gaped in response. He had no idea who this guy was or how he knew about him and Bane “Or are you stupid?”

“Fuck you!” John flushed with anger but the other man simply leaned against the wall and regarded him cooly.

“Ah no thanks. I prefer men with a bit more muscle.” John snorted but the blue-eyed man continued. “Bane, however, thinks the moon hangs from your twink ass.” He rolled his eyes and snorted at John’s blush. “Don’t tell me you don’t know how much he likes you.”

“He hasn’t even asked me out!” The stranger raised an eyebrow then groaned.

“You both are idiots! Come on.” Without another word the man pushed off of the wall and started walking towards the elevator.

“Who are you?!” John demanded, anger rising again.

“I’m the guy that’s going to help you stop beating around the bush so I don’t have to spend one more night hearing Bane agonize over you. How could you not know how much he likes you? When was the last time a guy put that much time into getting to know you?” John didn’t answer and the blue-eyed man rolled his eyes again. “Exactly! Bane’s head over heels about you, so please, don’t make me have to kill you or whatever.” Apparently satisfied with his speech, the man let himself into Bane's apartment. With the key. Who the fuck was this guy? “Bane, I brought your twink with me. It’s time you two had a talk about your feelings.” The man snickered as Bane shuffled from his bedroom, looking sleep rumpled and confused. It was incredibly adorable. At least until John realized the man was only wearing a tight pair of boxer briefs. John gaped and attempted to lift his gaze. Which was a terrible idea because Bane’s chest was just as good. He knew Bane was built, but dammit how did his clothes hide all that?!

“What are you talking about, you crazy bastard – oh John!” Bane literally yelped and grabbed a pillow from the nearby couch and covered his crotch. That only made it worse for John because that only gave him a better view of the way those muscles moved underneath the tan skin. John’s mouth went dry but was saved the trouble of breaking the silence by the stranger, Barsad, who erupted into laughter beside him.

“What are you doing?! Is that pillow supposed to help? I can say without a doubt that it’s not. Besides it looks you have been denying your twink judging from the vacant look in his eyes.”

“He’s not my twink!”

“Hey!”

Barsad snorted and lounged on the couch, looking like a bored cat. “You’re both idiots. He,” he pointed to John, “is too shy to ask you out. And you,” he pointed at Bane, “are moving at a glacial pace. At this rate you'll be able to use a senior discount on your first date. And all because you’re both awkward as hell.” He smiled wryly as the two men looked at each other and blushed. “Well, my work here is done. Save me some of whatever you’re making for dinner tonight. Oh and John, here,” he stood to leave and handed John the key. “Don’t forget what I said. I know where you live.”

“Barsad!”

“Don’t you think you should be practicing on his name? Though I wouldn’t necessarily say no to a dirty threesome.”

“Barsad!”

“Oh god!” Barsad snickered at the blush that reached John’s ears.

“Oh! He is so skittish. What a delicate petal. Oh don’t worry, Bane can be quite gentle. Unless-”

“I think it’s time for you to go, Barsad.” Bane cut him off and shoved the grinning man away from John and towards the door.

“Ah yes. Try to work something out you two. You’re acting like a sappy romantic comedy.” With that Barsad left, grinning like he’d done them some great service. Perhaps he had.

“I’m really sorry about him being such a meddling asshole.” Bane ran his hand over his face and chanced a look at John. The smaller man was already looking like he wanted to bolt. Shit! “Look I-”

“Barsad said you were-uh-that you liked me-like a lot.” John stammered and stared at the floor like it held life’s most important answers.

“Y-yeah. I do. I-”

“Then why haven’t you asked me out?” The brunette looked up, a small wrinkle forming above his nose as he scowled. “It’s been six months already.”

“I didn’t want to startle you like I had when we first met. I wanted to ask you out then, but you ran away anytime I even tried to say hello.”

“Well I’m not running now.” John mumbled petulantly and Bane was torn between exasperation and fondness.

“Would you like to see a movie with me sometime? Maybe tonight?” He added hopefully.

“Yeah. I’d like that.” John gave him a small grin.

“Me too.” Bane grinned widely.

And both of them thought, Finally!


End file.
